School fairs may pump out goldfish, left and right, to kids that don't know how to take care of them but it's a Tacoma bar that's under fire -- after animal activist complaints over gold fish races with squirt bottles.
A Tacoma, Washington, bar -- the "Harmon Tap Room" -- has been receiving complaints from animal rights activists who seem to feel the fish are being abused. The drinking establishment's weekly gold fish races have now been canceled. In the Tuesday night fish race event, inexpensive feeder fish purchased from a local pet store were sent down eight-foot long troughs -- in races with one another.
Bar patrons used squirt bottles to guide the gold fish toward victory -- but now the racing has officially been shut down.
Following complaints over the fish races by animal activists, the Harmon Tap Room bar has now replaced goldfish racing with beer pong -- ironically, an even hotter topic for debate in many parts of the country including California. The city of Moorpark has even considered making beer pong a crime. Maybe school fairs will consider switching out to paddles in place of the fish.